By David Kennard
The Morning News
dkennard@cableone.net
BLACKFOOT — Freezing roads made eastern Idaho roads so dangerous Tuesday that Idaho State Patrol officials issued a traffic warning to local drivers
"ISP is requesting that travel on all interstates, U.S. highways and state highways be limited to essential and emergency traffic only," officials said in a statement issued Tuesday night. "Road conditions are extremely treacherous throughout eastern Idaho. There are multiple slide-offs throughout the regions."
Officials said Idaho Transportation Department officials were "out in full force attempting to keep roads open for emergency travel, and assessing closure needs."
Weather forecasters Tuesday said conditions should improve today with temperatures rising into the mid-30s, but drivers were urged to use caution as winter driving conditions were expected to return at night and into Thursday with the arrival of another storm system.
Jeff Hedges, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pocatello said the mixed rain and snow and freezing drizzle that turned local roads into ice was uncommon for the Snake River Plain.
"It's a mess," Hedges said. "Just a thin film is all it takes to make things very slick."
Accumulation in the valley will be very light, Hedges said. Up to an inch was expected Tuesday night, with much more expected at higher elevations.
Skiers headed to local resorts will find plenty of fresh snow — if they can get there. While roads will be very slick to all the eastern Idaho resorts, once there, skiers will find several inches of fresh snow in the coming days.
Kelly Canyon reported 4 inches of new snow in the last 24 hours and forecasters are calling for more leading up to the weekend.
Grand Targhee was reporting 6 inches in the last day after getting dumped on Saturday when the resort measured 13 inches of snowfall. Again forecasters are calling for more snow on Thursday and Friday, but drivers should use extreme caution driving on mountain roads.
Current road report information, including road closures, can be obtained online at 511.idaho.gov, or by calling 511.
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